The Break in the Wall
by Min Daae
Summary: Sokka's natural curiosity, Zuko's natural residence, and one very obvious scar without an explanation. Awkward ensues.


"You know," Sokka said, one evening, "We still don't know how Prince Angrypants got his scar." He paused, and then glanced at Katara. "Do we?"

Katara threw her hands up. "Why are you asking _me?_"

"Didn't you have a heart to heart with him or something in Ba Sing-"

"It wasn't a heart to _anything,_" Katara snapped. "I don't know what it-"

"I know," said someone, "And I don't think you should be talking about it." Heads turned, and three pairs of eyes stared at Toph, sitting with her knees up to her chest and her arms folded, most of her face hidden.

Sokka stared open mouthed for a few moments, and then threw up his hands. "You _know, _Toph? And you didn't tell _us?_"

"In case you haven't noticed," Toph said, her voice more than a little taut, "Zuko doesn't really talk much about personal stuff. We were talking, he told me and just me. I'm not a blabbermouth about stuff like that."

Sokka was still indignant. "But we tell each other everything!" He raised an admonishing finger. "Secrets, secrets, are no fun, unless they're shared with everyone!"

"It's none of your business," Toph said, her unfocused, milky eyes staring straight at nothing. "I'm not telling. It's his business and it's his choice whether he wants to tell you."

Katara snorted. "Why is it such a big deal? Did he do it to himself on accident or something? And why'd he tell you anyway, Toph, and not the rest of us? He was probably just trying to make you feel sorry for him."

"Hello," Toph said, and she sounded a little angry. "Maybe this is why? And I can tell when people are lying, remember? I don't think Zuko's interested in _anyone _feeling sorry for him."

"I still think," Sokka started to say, and then a voice cut him off.

"If you're going to talk about someone and you don't want them to hear, you might be a little quieter."

They all froze. Aang was the first one to open his mouth, sheepishly. "Hey, Zuko. We thought you were asleep."

He ventured forward into the firelight, standing awkwardly just outside of the rest of the group. "Obviously. It's okay." He sounded more resigned than angry, but there was still a collective cringe. "I guess I can't blame you for being curious."

Sokka was, predictably, the first to recover. "Of course you can't. I mean, it's kind of obvious, it's only natural that now that you're not trying to kill us all the time we'd wonder about stuff like that. So what happened?"

"I don't know. I don't want you to think I'm trying to make you feel sorry for me." There was a slightly bitter note to his voice, and he glanced at Katara, but she didn't even blink, just looking up with a stubborn line of her mouth.

"It's okay," said Sokka lightly. "Don't worry about that."

"And I don't want your _pity _anyway," Zuko added, tensing. This time it was Toph who answered.

"Shut up or stop stalling, Sparky," she said, sounding disgruntled. "And if anyone gets too mushy I'll punch them. How's that?"

Zuko glanced at her, and then sat down abruptly. "Fine. But then I'm going back to bed." He hesitated for a long moment, looking at his feet.

"Well, go o-" Sokka started to say, and Zuko started talking.

"I was thirteen. There was this – war meeting. I wanted to go-"

"Why would you want to go to a stupid war meeting?" Sokka wanted to know, and Zuko shot him a golden-eyed glare.

"Didn't you want to be grown up when you were thirteen? Besides, I was the crown prince, it was my right. But shut up or I won't get through this." He took a deep breath and looked back down. "Anyway… Uncle – Iroh – told me not to come, but he gave in eventually. He _told _me not to say anything, to just listen. But one of the generals, I don't even remember his name, was talking about this – plan. I thought it was wrong and I said so."

Toph thought for a moment that she might be the only one who realized how Zuko's shoulders hunched as he went on. "It was disrespectful. My – the Fire Lord told me that for my disrespect I'd have to fight an Agni Kai – that's a fire duel – and I agreed. I thought I could take the general; he was old, and not that good." Zuko swallowed, once. "It wasn't him. That I had to fight. I lost. That's all."

There was a momentary, and uncomfortable, silence. Predictably, Sokka spoke up first. "Wait, wait, wait. That was the worst storytelling I've ever heard! What was the plan? And if that's-" he pointed at the scar, "What happens when someone loses one of these duel thingies, why don't more people have one?"

Zuko's shoulders hunched further, up by his ears. "It doesn't matter."

"It does," said Toph abruptly. "Don't be stupid. You left out all the important parts." She crossed her arms. "You can't just tell half the story."

Zuko stood up, abruptly. "I can. Goodnight, I'm going to sleep."

He vanished in a hurry, leaving a few gaping mouths staring after him. Then three pairs of eyes (one somewhat unwilling) turned toward Toph, who sighed.

"Stupid," she muttered. "Stupid Fire Nation. Stupid pride."

"Well?" said Sokka, after a moment. "Tell us the rest of it."

Toph sighed. "It was his father. The Fire Lord. The one he had to duel. He refused to fight his father and because it was _cowardly _or something Fire Lord Stupid set his son's face on fire and banished him on a wild goose chase, since at that point everyone thought the Avatar was gone – sorry, Aang." She grimaced, fiercely. "And the plan was about sacrificing a bunch of new recruits as bait. And _that's _all, unless he left out something else that's even more pitiful because sympathy makes you weak, or something."

Aang looked horror struck. "But that's not – _fair! _You don't _do _that just for someone speaking out of turn!"

"Apparently you do if you're Fire Lord Stupid." Sokka looked a little green, momentarily. "His father did that? I always thought it was some training accident or something."

They all looked at Katara, who stood up abruptly. "I'm going to get some more water," she said, almost defiantly, and stood, grabbing the bucket and walking away into the dark.

"Some family," Sokka said, after several long moments of silence. "Kind of makes you understand."

"Yeah," said Toph, and her voice was strangely quiet. "It kind of does, doesn't it?"

A safe distance away, in his own little corner of the temple, Zuko stirred in his sleep, expression tightening, and whispered hoarsely.

"_Father, please…" _


End file.
